Privacy
Privacy Policy
Effective date: April 27, 2026
Who runs this app
BetterTranscribe is built and maintained by Haidar Mehsen as an individual developer. Questions about this policy can be sent to contact.hmehsen@gmail.com.
What we collect
Nothing. BetterTranscribe does not collect any personal data. We do not run analytics. We do not track usage. We do not phone home. We have no server.
How transcription works
By default, all audio is processed entirely on your Mac using a local speech-recognition model. Audio never leaves your device.
If you enable a cloud provider (OpenAI or Google Gemini) inside BetterTranscribe and provide your own API key, your audio is sent to that provider's servers under your own account. Each provider handles your audio according to its own privacy policy. Please review those policies directly:
You can switch back to local-only processing at any time from the app's Settings.
API keys
Cloud provider API keys you enter are stored in the macOS Keychain on your device. They never leave your Mac except to authenticate requests you have explicitly opted into.
Diagnostic logs
BetterTranscribe writes diagnostic logs locally to help you troubleshoot issues. The logs contain no audio, no transcripts, no API keys, and no personally identifying information — only event markers like "recording started", "model loaded", or HTTP error codes.
The "Report a Bug" feature in the app reveals the log file in Finder so you can choose what, if anything, to attach to your email.
Purchases
BetterTranscribe is sold via the Mac App Store. Apple processes all purchases. We never see your payment information. Refund requests are handled by Apple Support.
Updates
App updates are delivered through the Mac App Store. The app does not download or run code from any other source.
For users in the EU (GDPR)
BetterTranscribe processes no personal data on our side, so there is nothing to access, correct, export, or delete on your behalf. Cloud-provider data (when you opt in) is governed by that provider's policies — you can exercise your GDPR rights through OpenAI or Google directly using the policies linked above.
For any questions related to GDPR, you can contact us at contact.hmehsen@gmail.com.
For users in California (CCPA / CPRA)
We do not sell, share, or rent personal information. We collect no personal information. There is no data category to disclose, delete, correct, or limit. You have the right to be free from retaliation for exercising any privacy right; we have nothing to retaliate over because we hold no data.
Children
BetterTranscribe is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect any data from anyone, regardless of age.
Changes to this policy
If this policy ever changes, the effective date at the top of the page will be updated. Material changes will also be called out in the Mac App Store release notes for the version that introduces them.
Jurisdiction
The developer is based in Lebanon. To the extent required by law, this policy is governed by the privacy laws applicable in your place of residence (notably GDPR for EU residents and CCPA / CPRA for California residents).
Contact
Questions, requests, or concerns: email contact.hmehsen@gmail.com.